


Noises

by iamee



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Confessions, Confusion, Denial of Feelings, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff and Angst, Jealousy, M/M, Making Out, flatmates, the walls are thin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-30
Updated: 2013-03-30
Packaged: 2017-12-07 00:39:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/742075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamee/pseuds/iamee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin and Arthur are platonic flatmates. Everything is fine except not because a certain someone called out the wrong name while in bed with his boyfriend - and that name may or may not have been "Arthur". </p><p>But that is no reason to be all angsty around each other and not knowing what to think, right? Right.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Noises

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm moving my LJ over here, I guess? Just cleaning up some old stuff and mostly kinkmeme fills from ages ago, but we'll see how nostalgic I'll get. In any way, have fun and enjoy!

**Noises**

 

At first it is all right.

Sharing a flat with another person means to be a part of their life, Arthur is aware of this. Walking into each other in the bathroom when one of them has forgotten to lock the door, searching for his milk in the fridge until Merlin will walk into the room and give this awkward little noise which means "Sorry. Will buy you a new one. Again.".

And of course, it is impossible to keep late-night visitors a secret.

They have come to be friends, well something like that at least, and Merlin has never been exactly coy about his sexuality. He told him right away, on the first day they've met, set up by a mutual friend who knew that both of them were searching for a flatmate and a cheaper way to live in the city. Arthur had cracked a joke about the situation, the two of them, sitting in a coffee shop, staring into their beverages awkwardly and trying to make conversation in this clumsy manner that sometimes is so hard to escape. 

"How is it that this feels so much like a blind date?" He had said, grinning at the skinny, dark-haired stranger in front of him and – after he saw the ghost of a smile flickering over Merlin's features – he had added. "I bet Lance promised you something better, sorry if I'm not what you've expected."

Merlin had looked up over the rim of his cup and this time the smile had reached his blue eyes: "It's fine. But I'm not sure my boyfriend would approve if this were a date." And – in the same breath: "Do you want to finish this cake? I'm kinda full."

They had decided to move in together the same day.  
Nothing better than cake to establish a relationship.

Arthur fancies himself a rather tolerant and open-minded guy. He is, in fact. So he doesn't mind the noises from the room next door. Not too much, anyway. Sure, sometimes it can be a little annoying. On numerous occasions, when he's tried to study late at night and suddenly there was this low, deep groan, followed by the sound of hastily removed clothes and then... yeah... let's say he's got used to study with his headphones on. 

It's no big deal.

Two months after they've moved in, Merlin breaks up with his boyfriend. Not even Arthur's headphones can drown the sounds of the fight going on in the other room and the moment when he decides to walk in there and check if they're already killing each other, the front door slams and then it's silent. A few minutes later his heated flatmate knocks and asks if he also feels the urge to get drunk. Really drunk. Indeed, Arthur does.

Of course it's only quiet for a week or so. Merlin – despite the fact that he always seems to be a little uneasy whenever he gets to much attention – is a people person after all. And there is always someone falling for him, fast and passionate and after a while Arthur doesn't bother about the headphones anymore. When he wants to sleep he can easily ignore the noises. 

It's no problem.

Until one night it becomes a problem. 

For weeks now everything has been fine. And a little boring. Since Merlin has got together with his new boyfriend, Arthur has barely seen him. Which makes sense. According to the sounds coming out of his room they haven't left it for some time. Which is alright. Totally. It's obvious that Merlin is in love with this guy.

Arthur is used to the noises and he doesn't actually realize that they've stopped, at least not until his door opens and said boyfriend storms in, trying to close the buttons on his jeans and with a look in his eyes that could kill. When Arthur refuses to die instantly, his face reddens and he steps closer to the bed, obviously outraged by Arthur's confused expression.

"How dare you?!" He yells. "Who do you think you are?"

"I... errm..." Arthur gets up and shrugs apologetically. "Sorry, but is there a problem?"

That's exactly the wrong choice of words, because the boyfriend's voice – he really should try to remember his name, Arthur thinks – gets immediately higher.

"You're asking me if there's a problem? Really?! Yeah mate, there _is_ a problem! You're fucking my boyfriend, you little shit, and I've really got a problem with _that_!"

If Arthur weren't so absolutely sure that this would make matters a hundred times worse, he would start to laugh. It just seems so... stupid. Why would he do such a thing? He and Merlin are flatmates, good ones yes, but nothing more. Everyone knows that, Merlin knows that and there has never been anything between them. So why would this guy – Gary? Is his name Gary? – why would he assume...?

Arthur raises his hands in a defensive manner, keeping his voice calm and steady, trying not to upset the guy any further: "Listen, I think this must be some kind of misunderstanding, I really don't -"

"Misunderstanding?" Maybe-Gary repeats spitefully. "Don't give me that crap!"

"I swear, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh _really_? Do you actually think that –"

"Leave him alone already, would you?"

Arthur turns around to the door where Merlin has appeared, almost without a sound. Or maybe the discussion has been a little louder than he's thought. At least boyfriend's attention is now focused on something else.

"No, I won't leave him alone. I want some answers and I want them now, okay?"

"It's not his fault," Merlin sighs, his fingers fumbling with the blanket he's wrapped around his body. "Can't we just go to my room and talk about this?"

The boyfriend makes a noise like he's about to reply something nasty and Arthur is getting tired of listening to him. Besides, the way Merlin is leaning in his doorway, all worried eyes under tousled dark hair and pale skin where there is no blanket... he looks so goddamn vulnerable. So different. No smile on his face, no laughter in his eyes. And this is just not the way it's supposed to be.

"What happened, Merlin?" Arthur asks, approaching him, coming closer even if he knows Maybe-Gary is probably about to kill him for this.

"Yes, tell him, _Merlin_." Boyfriend demands. "This should be interesting."

Gradually, Arthur isn't entirely sure anymore why he didn't just punch that idiot the minute he waltzed in and accused him of shagging his flatmate. And the way Merlin is flinching right now, isn't helpful to this consideration at all.

"I..." Merlin licks his bottom lip, prudently avoiding their respective glances. "It was nothing, really. I just..." He swallows. "I kinda called your name..."

It's been a long day. And it's been increasingly confusing, that's why Arthur's simply staring at him, trying to figure out what this is all about. And then the meaning of his words sinks in.

He draws breath and puffs it out again: "Ohh..." His thoughts are chasing one another through his head and he isn't sure what to think any longer. "You mean you said my name, when you..."

Blue eyes are searching his face for some kind of answer and then Merlin nods, without saying a word. Before Arthur can decide how to feel about all this, there is boyfriend's voice again to remind him that they're not alone in the room and he really wishes he would have gone out tonight like he had actually planned.

"Yes. Yes he did. Awesome way to find out that your boyfriend's cheating on you, isn't it?" He snorts. "Now, I'd really love to hear what you have to say about this!"

Arthur holds Merlin's gaze, suddenly very much aware of the beating of his heart. Something isn't right here and he isn't sure what to do about it. Or what to say for that matter.

"This... is unexpected." He manages to croak out after some seconds have elapsed in silence and by the expression on Merlin's face and the growl Maybe-Gary produces he can be sure he's said exactly the wrong thing. Again.

"You know what? I don't need this bullshit! I'm done!"

Boyfriend rushes out of the room, past Merlin who darts a last glance at Arthur that is pretty hard to understand, before he whirls around and follows the other man into the corridor: "Barry, wait..."

And then they're both gone and Arthur closes the door, leaning heavily against it. He shuts his eyes and waits for the absurdity of the whole situation to make him laugh. 

His waiting is futile.

~*~

Days have gone by and Arthur's starting to think that it was ridiculous to believe he's seen Merlin rarely while he was together with Barry, because now he doesn't see him at all.  
He seems to get up very early and to come back very late, or maybe he isn't around at all, staying somewhere else and Arthur thinks it's none of his business, 'cause they're just _flatmates_ for god's sake. Even if one of said flatmates happens to call out the name of the other while having sex with someone else. Which shouldn't be a problem, right?

Things like that can happen and there is no deeper meaning. It's not like Merlin is in love with him. He's just embarrassed and he needs some time to face him again, that's all. It's a stupid mistake and they'll laugh about it soon.  
But Merlin isn't coming home and Arthur isn't able to forget to look on his face when he told him what happened. Yet it's nothing, nothing, nothing. It's all right.

It's not all right.

Arthur really tries to act like he doesn't care, but he fails miserably and sooner or later his friends start to notice. He tells them he's had a little fight with Merlin, inventing some reason why they don't speak with each other anymore and everybody believes him. Of course they do.

There are lots of 'It will be okay'-s and 'don't you worry, it ends soon'-s and he couldn't feel any more miserably, because he knows it won't. And it doesn't. And things don't change just like that and life is nothing like people want it to be. It's fucking difficult and confusing.

"You miss him," writes a friend in a text message one night when he is sitting there, sleepless.

Arthur just stares at the three words, before he lays down the phone and says it out loud: "It's true."  
There is no one to hear it, of course not, the flat is empty and for the first time he realises how quiet it is, when Merlin's not around. No singing under the shower when he wakes up in the morning, no cursing when he isn't able to get this stupid old computer of his to work, no babbling while they watch a film together even if Arthur is always on the edge of choking him when he misses the entire plot again. 

He buries his head in the pillow and tries to understand how he couldn't recognise that they've already been friends. 

It's a fucking big deal and he doesn't know what to do.

The next morning when he walks into the kitchen, Merlin is there, making coffee. He gives him a faint smile and then they sit next to each other at the table and it's a lot like their first encounter, only that it's totally different, which makes no sense at all, but nothing does, so Arthur decides not to care as long as Merlin is here again.

"I've been visiting my parents." Merlin explains, sipping his coffee and answering a question Arthur hasn't asked.

"Sounds nice." Arthur replies, thinking something entirely different.

 _Why didn't you say so? Why didn't you call? Why did you leave?_  
But he doesn't say any of these things and they just drink their coffee and go on with their lives. 

He'd thought it would get better once Merlin had returned.  
But it isn't.  
They've stopped living with each other and what they're doing now is more like living side by side. Merlin is there and at the same time he isn't.

He's never been the quiet type, but now he acts like Arthur's made of glass. He doesn't sing, and he doesn't curse, and he isn't babbling. And it's driving Arthur slowly mad.

The confusion won't stop. Sometimes he wakes up at night, believing he heard Merlin moaning his name and it's all sorts of difficult to fall asleep again, because his cheeks are burning and his heart is racing and in the morning he won't be able to look him straight in the eye.

Weeks pass by and Arthur wonders why he could get used to all these noises at night, but why he can't get used to the expression on Merlin's face whenever they meet in the kitchen, in the bathroom or in the hallway. He tries, he tries really hard to believe it's dead and buried, because Merlin never attempts to explain. That it was indeed some stupid slip of the tongue, a blunder. That it doesn't mean anything at all.

One evening they're sitting on the couch, watching a film once again and Arthur knows he's not following the action, his thoughts are somewhere else, they're always somewhere else these days, and there is nothing he can do about it. And suddenly Merlin is touching his arm and Arthur is positive that he can feel his breath on his face when he repeats his name.

"Arthur..."

His nails dig into his thigh when he turns to look at his flatmate and he is aware that he is blushing.

"What?" He rasps somewhat rude, but he can feel Merlin's fingertips on his arm and there are the memories of a dream in the back of his mind, so yeah...

Merlin's hand moves away and there is a change in his eyes, like someone has turned off the light: "Nothing. Just wanted to ask for the popcorn."

Arthur feels like he's becoming insane.

Later that week, when he's coming home, he almost stumbles over a moving box. He starts to curse under his breath, all the way to the living room, where he finds Merlin in the middle of a total and utter chaos, struggling with the cable of a lamp.

"What are you doing?"

Merlin glances up, before he concentrates on his task again: "What does it look like?"

Arthur crosses the room and squats down in front of him, taking the lamp out of his hands: "It looks like you're about to steal my mother's latest birthday present."

For a moment the corners of Merlin's mouth twitch like he's about to laugh: "You know, I actually was surprised I've bought something that... tasteful."

Arthur wants to grin, he really does, but he can't right now, he can't ignore what's going on.

"Merlin?"

"Yes?"

"You're not really moving out, are you?"

Merlin takes breath, looking him straight in the eye: "Yes, I do. It's probably for the best."

"Wait. What?" Arthur asks incredulously. "You can't be serious."

"Arthur, don't make this even harder for me, okay?" Merlin gets up and starts to pick up his stuff. "You're a really nice guy, I'm sure you'll find another flatmate soon and -"

Arthur can't help himself but interrupt him: "If I'm so nice, why are you in such a hurry to leave?"

"I thought it was obvious." The look in Merlin's eyes is distressed. "After everything that happened... I mean... isn't this what you want?"

"Why would you think that?" Arthur stands up, still not believing what he's hearing.

Sure, the last weeks have been confusing, but he never wanted for Merlin to leave, hell no.

Merlin chuckles a little, but he doesn't sound very happy, not in the least: "Oh come on, Arthur. You know what this is all about. And I can't even blame you." He glances at him, suddenly startled. "Not that I do, don't get me wrong, that would be totally unfair."

The more he says, the more Arthur feels unsettled. This is frustrating and he refuses to believe that this is it. That this should be the end of everything. It's just wrong, wrong, wrong.

He walks over and snaps away what Merlin just intended to pick up and throws it aside: "Oh bloody hell, just stop packing for only a second, would you?!"

Merlin looks like he's been hit and Arthur notices that he is holding back tears.

"It's all my fault." Merlin whispers and tries to smile at him at the same time. "God, I was so stupid to believe this wouldn't affect our friendship. I mean, I said your name and surely you must think that I'm... and that's the reason why..." He's shaking by now and Arthur really wants to tell him that everything is going to be all right, but how could he since Merlin is this upset because of him?

"You think that...?" He closes his eyes for a second, remembering how to breathe. "You think I want you to leave because of _that_?"

"I figured I freaked you out." Merlin says in a low voice. "You seemed really shocked..."

"So you decided to run off, right?" Suddenly anger is rising in Arthur's chest. "First you go to your parents, without even mentioning it and now you're moving out because it's so much easier than simply talking to me? _This_ is not fair, don't you see? You left me here with all this fucking confusion and I thought I hurt you and I kinda ruined your relationship and you never even talked about what the fuck happened, and now I'm just supposed to smile and wish you good luck and watch you go?" Somewhere in the middle of his speech he has grabbed Merlin's shoulders, forcing him to look into his face. "I'm sorry, but I can't do this, okay? I just can't."

Merlin's eyes widen and he opens his lips a few times until the words finally find their way: "What exactly are you telling me, Arthur?"

He considers this for a moment, but it seems like his brain's gone blank: "I guess I mean... don't go."

Those beautiful blue eyes dance over his features for a split second before Merlin leans in and kisses him.

It's an innocent kiss, almost chaste and after a few seconds, Merlin is moving away, just when Arthur's come to terms with the feeling of his lips on his own. 

"I don't want to go. But I can't do this anymore. I lo-" is all Merlin can say, before Arthur draws him closer and presses their mouths together again.

Merlin makes a surprised sound in the back of his throat and Arthur wants to bury one of his hands in his dark hair and so he does, breathing between their lips, while his insides turn around in a funny way, too good to describe it. Maybe he's gone mad after all, but it just feels so right and he certainly can't stop. He didn't know he wanted this so badly, but it's the first time for ages that everything makes sense again. 

Merlin is kissing him back by now, biting his lower lip softly, tongue flickering over the hardness of his teeth and Arthur knows he's already groaning helplessly. Their bodies move together, against each other. Beating hearts. Entangled limbs. 

"Arthur..." Merlin breaths into the crook of his neck and it sends shivers through his whole body to hear his name, finally while he is awake and he's never thought he could be turned on like this by such a simple thing.

They end up on the floor, in between all these things, desperately trying to kiss, to lick, to _touch_ every part of the other they can reach. They almost rip off each other's clothes in the process, needy for contact, for this kind of sensation whenever their skin meets. 

"Merlin." He whispers, while their hips collide, over and over again and the air is filled with their panting. They come quickly, messily, right there on the floor, wrapped around each other with shared breath and open eyes.

Their bodies are damp and sticky, there is packaging material in their hair and Arthur is pretty sure they've smashed something, because little pieces of plastic are digging into his back. Merlin props up on one elbow and smiles at him: "I think under these circumstances I could bear to stay..."

~*~

Arthur discovers that it is way more fun to hear Merlin singing under the shower when he's there to stop him...

 

**The End**


End file.
